“Unfortunately, it wasn’t finalized,” he said on France
Inter radio today. “It’s too bad, because the idea that a
country like Libya that produces a lot of crude could have a
partnership with a refinery in France was good.”

One or two “serious” offers for the crude-processing
plant are being examined by the government, he said.

The future of the 154,000-barrel-a-day refinery remains in
doubt as the facility went into administration after Petroplus
filed for insolvency in January. Royal Dutch Shell Plc will end
a so-called tolling accord on processing fuel at next month,
unions have said.

Libya’s sovereign wealth fund was in preliminary talks with
France as a potential co-investor in an insolvent oil refinery
in Normandy, French Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg said on
Nov. 12.

Speaking in Tripoli, Montebourg raised the possibility that
France’s strategic investment fund could act as a “minority
partner.”

A court in Rouen this month delayed a deadline for offers
for Petit-Couronne to Feb. 5 and will hold a hearing on
operations at the refinery on Dec. 4.